Feds one time top-up for low-income renters only a band-aid for some: tenant advocate

As rental prices continue to shoot up across the country, the federal government has opened up applications to provide ‘immediate relief’ for some eligible renters through the Canada Housing Benefit.

The relief is in the form of a one-time $500 payment.

To qualify for the money, renters must meet all eligibility requirements listed by the government.

The requirements include:

• You were a resident of Canada in 2022 for tax purposes
• Being over the age of 15 years-old by Dec. 1, 2022
• In 2021, your individual income was $20,000 or less, or your family income was $35,000 or less
• Applicant must have filed 2021 income tax returns
• The amount of rent you paid in 2022 was equal to at least 30 per cent of your 2021 income

There are some additional rules if you have roommates, pay for meals or other services, or pay rent to a relative, among other things.

You do not need to be receiving any other type of housing assistance to apply.

To apply, you can do so through Canada Revenue Agency My Account or My Service Canada Account. You can also apply by calling CRA at 1-800-282-8079.

You must provide any addresses you lived at in 2022, as well as the rent you paid at each. You will also need to provide the name and contact information for your landlord. You’ll need the information from your spouse or common-law partner’s 2021 tax return if you have one.

The deadline for applications is March 31, 2023.

Advocates opinion

While the money will provide short-term relief for some, one tenant advocate doesn’t think the money on its own will make any kind of notable impact on the housing and eviction crisis.

“As a one-time benefit, it may be of assistance to tenants facing small shortfalls in income and rising expenses which impact their ability to pay rent, but many tenants will not qualify for the assistance,” Robert Patterson, lawyer and tenant advocate with Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, told CityNews.

Patterson believes for those who do qualify, many will find that the money is not enough to fill the gap in their finances.

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“[They’ll] run into the same kind of difficult positions — like whether to pay rent or buy essentials once the $500 is gone.”

To simplify the matter, Patterson compared the housing crisis and these one-off payments to a house fire.

“Rent subsidies like these are single buckets of water, they can perhaps prevent it from getting worse for a time, but are not sufficient to address the actual crisis Canadian tenants face,” he said.

“The housing crisis demands urgent, drastic action – a firehose, instead of a bucket.”

Patterson believes to address the housing crisis, the federal government must focus on public investment in housing, expanding social and subsidized housing, and taking aggressive steps to de-commodify current housing to prevent further ballooning rents.

He suggests the government do that through things like real rent control and direct market intervention.